troubles in baseball
Baseball is a game that America has embraced from its early existence. Regarded as the national pastime baseball has embedded itself it our culture and has captured both adults and youths alike. It is a game that mirrors the image of America; a game that combines fine tuned skill with intellectual strategy, one that provokes emotions, the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. Baseball is also a game that has evolved with the nation. As America's class system becomes more defined so does that of baseball. The game has become stagnant with the same large market teams: Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians and a few more, competing in the fall classic each year. With this elitist practice baseball has lost its entire competitive flavor. With this competition among elite becoming more evident as the Yankees have taken four out of the last five World Series. With no cap or regulation on the amount one team can spend to acquire its players the logic would follow that: the rich teams dominate. Without a salary cap and some type of revenue sharing implemented and efforts among owners and players baseball will cease to exist in America. Major League Baseball needs a perman
The new collective bargaining agreement between owners and players will end October 31, 2001. With this deadline approaching and no new developments among the baseball insiders the fans may get another taste of the 1994 players strike. Under the new collective bargaining agreement signed in 1995 there would be limited revenue sharing with "a maximum of five teams with payrolls exceeding a set amount...will pay a tax...that will be used in part to fund a revenue-sharing pool"(Abrams197). However with this plan in tact the Bronx Bombers have still been crowned world champions four out of the last five years. Put another way, the Yankees won 80% of the Series crowns since the new agreement. This is a clear sign that this temporary fix put on baseball needs heaving revising, and a permanent plan that allows baseball to foster competition and embrace America as it once did. The Commissioners office needs to take a stand and implement this regulation to bring competition back to the free agent market and on the field as well. Commisioner Selig has recognized the problem, "The system has to be changed...the inequity in this system is now so apparent."(Associated Press). In addition, Commissioner Selig and others have recognized full revenue sharing as a remedy for baseballs competitive balance problem. With this revenue sharing must come another regulation. A requirement that demands the small market teams to use the money gained from revenue sharing for player salaries. To ensure this happens a salary minimum can be implemented. With these plans put into action baseball could improve parity between teams. Moreover the small market teams would be able to generate greater revenues as a result of a more talented team. The next step is to allow the players and owners to tweak the implementations to their liking, a much easier task said then done. Each
Some common words found in the essay are:
Bronx Bombers, League Baseball, Commissioner Selig, Montreal Expos, Angeles Dodgers, World Series, Baseball Baseball, Cleveland Indians, Association Commissioners, Pirates Royals, revenue sharing, market teams, salary cap, baseball game, owners players, collective bargaining agreement, collective bargaining, bargaining agreement, atlanta braves, disparity revenue, league baseball, nationally televised games, major league baseball, free agent market,
Approximate Word count = 1264
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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